In the fall of 1357, a Flemish weaver travels around the countryside in England, at the request of the king, seeking apprentices to learn his trade. During this time, however, many Englishmen prefer the easy wealth gained from war and pillaging to learning to work diligently with their hands. Along the way the weaver meets a prosperous wool merchant with two sons-big, strong, sixteen-year-old Roger and small, crippled, thirteen-year-old Tom. The merchant is eager to advance his elder son but the weaver feels drawn to the intelligence of young Tom who is seen only as a burden and a curse. When...